Poverty risk in Leeds revealed

James Reed, Political Editor

PART of Leeds is one of the areas of the country where residents are at the highest risk of living in poverty, according to a new study.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) found the Leeds East constituency was 21st out of 533 in England when ranked in order of the risk of being in poverty.

It looked at the constituency of every MP and used figures on benefits and tax credits to identify those areas suffering most from poverty.

The Leeds Central constituency was ranked 80th on the list and Leeds West was 84th.

A poll conducted for JRF found that only 28 per cent of people in Yorkshire believe they could meet their financial commitments for a month if they lost their job while almost a third said they were at risk of falling into poverty.

Helen Barnard, head of analysis at JRF, said: “This analysis shows how poverty affects people right across the Yorkshire and Humber region, from its rural idylls to former industrial heartlands.

“It shows we need to get to grips with poverty in every town and city, which means the government, mayors and town hall leaders, businesses and communities working together. “

A Government spokesman said: “We’re determined to build a Britain that works for everyone and we now have record numbers of people in work, falling unemployment and wages rising faster than inflation.

“But we know there is much more to do, which is why we have increased the National Living Wage, taken millions of people out of paying any income tax and our welfare reforms are ensuring it always pays to be in work. We also continue to spend £80bn on working age benefits to ensure a strong safety net for those who need it most.”